All of the
stars in the
night sky are residents
of a
galaxy - the
Milky Way. We are also residents
of this galaxy. The
Earth orbits the
Sun, and the
Sun orbits the center of
our galaxy. Because of our
position, we can see some of the galaxy as a band
stretching across the sky.

To view the band of the
Milky Way,
travel to dark skies - away from city lights
- is required. When you see this for the
first time, the feeling is unforgettable.
The larger bulge on the left side of the
image is the
center of our galaxy.

The image above is an all-sky image
taken from the
Southern Hemisphere. An image like this is
possible with the use of a fish-eye lens on a 35mm
camera body (or CCD camera). The object near the top of the image is
a comet. The lights on the right side of the image
are from a distant town.